1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a security system for mobile containers or the like which prevents the unlocking or opening of such containers or the manipulation of a security system until the intended destination is reached. According to the present method, geographic positional information from existing external transmitters is compared to preset geographic positional information to control or enable a latching or locking mechanism associated with the mobile container or associated enclosure.
In its broadest sense, the present inventive concept relates to the combination of global position navigational or tracking systems, an enabling signal responsive security mechanism for a mobile unit and programmable comparator means to compare received geographic position information with preset or preprogrammed geographic positional information. The security system is not enabled or accessed until the received positional information, indicating the exact geographic location of the mobile unit, matches the preset positional information so as to produce an enabling signal for the security mechanism in a predetermined manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past various conventional locking mechanisms such as padlocks, combination locks or seals have been used to secure shipping containers which are transported either by truck, rail, air or marine vessel. Many types of electronic locking and security devices have also been available wherein an operator must utilize coded information such as security cards, punch-in combinations or the like in order to gain access to vehicles and shipping and cargo containers. Examples of such electronic coded locking systems are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,915 to Anderson III et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,525 to Becker, Jr. et al. In spite of these efforts, however, the problem of unauthorized entry and/or unloading of materials or merchandise remains a major problem in the shipping and cargo transportation industry. From a broader prospective it is oftentimes desirable, for security or other reasons, to have a particular function performed only at a predetermined geographical location. Such functions may entail such items as fueling, information access or mere surveillance ability.
Although various devices have been proposed in the shipping and transportation industry which utilize navigational tracking systems, such devices primarily provide information for tracking vehicle location only. The following U.S. patents disclose various examples of vehicle tracking systems of the type referred to:
______________________________________ 4,651,157 Gray et al 4,837,700 Ando et al 4,899,285 Nakayama 4,924,402 Ando et al 4,949,268 Nishikawa 4,983,980 Ando 4,970,652 Nagashima ______________________________________
These devices utilize several types of existing navigational systems such as LORAN and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), disclosed in detail in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,240 to Keegan. The object in these prior systems is usually to provide a trip record or history indicating the exact location in terms of geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude) of the vehicle, either during its travel or at the locations of specific operations such as loading or unloading. U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,206 to Scribner et al discloses one such application of a navigational system to a delivery truck.
To the best of applicant's knowledge, however, navigational tracking equipment has not been combined with security systems such as locking or access mechanisms for mobile cargo containers and the like. Although the tracking of the vehicle, aircraft or vessel is valuable information for the control of vehicle and vessel movement and to create trip records, these systems leave untouched the acute problems of unauthorized entry and disappearance of valuable merchandise somewhere between the departure point and the intended destination of the mobile container.